Documentary: Chris Bangle, Ex-Chief Designer BMW

Chris Bangle is back in the spotlight. Inframe.tv created a documentary on Chris Bangle and allowed him to freely speak about design and his days …

Chris Bangle is back in the spotlight. Inframe.tv created a documentary on Chris Bangle and allowed him to freely speak about design and his days at BMW, and in our opinion, this is the best interview/video we have seen with Bangle.

In February 2009, Bangle unexpectedly announced his leave from BMW Group, shocking the automotive world. A somewhat controversial designer, Bangle identifies with BMW’s history and design for nearly seventeen years, and his design ideas have been equally criticized and acclaimed.

American car designer Chris Bangle is best known for his work as the Chief of Design at the BMW Group. At the age of thirty-five, Bangle took the helm of design at BMW and stayed there for seventeen years becoming their longest serving director. During his sometimes controversial career at BMW, Bangle undeniably established himself as one of the most influential and important car designers of his generation, while BMW simultaneously passed Mercedes Benz to take the title of global leader in premium car sales. Well-known for standing by his designs and vehemently defending them against criticism, Bangle retired from BMW in late 2009, after introducing his stunning concept car GINA. In 2010, Bangle brought his extensive knowledge and unique insight of design to Melbourne, where he featured in Victoria’s annual design festival State of Design. InFrame.tv caught up with Chris on his road trip to Bendigo, where he was giving one of his lectures on the Future of Personal Mobility.

Well known UK journalist Chris Harris is back with an insightful article on BMW’s former chief of design, Chris Bangle. Born in the US, Christopher …

Dave

Very candid, great interview.

Joe

Epic.. loved the direction he set for BMW on cars and motorcycles. He was part of the huge moment that has made them a powerhouse today.

Giom

That was very interesting… he actually said some things that we havn’t heard before in terms of studio operations and hierarchy etc. But the thing that stood out for me was when he talked about people looking at a car saying, that is butt ugly. Then he tells them to think about the design team that worked really hard and put a lot of thought into it. Try and learn something from it…

Steve

Is he sitting in the back of an audi a4 or a6 avant?

bob

Maybe a Holden???

ABK

It doesn’t matter that Bangle’s designs were also heavily criticized. Combine this with the people that love what he was doing and the sales numbers and then you realize he is a genius. IMO in the field of design, having reactions from both sides this means you did a great job. God I love my E60 :)

Laszlo

“But the thing that stood out for me was when he talked about people looking at a car saying, that is butt ugly. Then he tells them to think about the design team that worked really hard and put a lot of thought into it. Try and learn something from it…”

so we have to like his butt-ugly cars because we need to feel sorry for them ? Sorry nothing he created was even remotely elegant or stylish. Horrible and dumb are the words comes to me… He always had to explain why his car was not ugly. A good creation let it be a pig sty or a car does not need explanation, it speaks for itself.

Have you ever heard Ferrari explaining their models ?

Bungle design came in a good times. Anything would have been selling he just happened to be there. Money was cheap (easy borrowing) and people needed a flashy cars with big powerful engines. Nothing magical here. BMW created excellent cars and it did not matter if they were butt ugly or not. The brand loyalty has dropped. Style and elegance is coming back so will brand loyalty,

say what you want, his cars look dated and plain after 4-5 years while for example Ercole Spada’s cars are still elegant today.

no wonder the term “Bungle butt” and “bungled” were created and used even today. Something that looks weird and rather ugly that’s called “bungled”

good luck to him…. best moment and decision when he left BMW…

Giom

“The brand loyalty has dropped.” based on what? Increased sales on all his designs?

Ale

“Bungle design came in a good times. Anything would have been selling he just happened to be there.. people needed a flashy cars with big powerful engines” Flashy cars with big powerful engines is not necesary “anything”. I think you are underestimating his work and achievements.

“…this cars look dated and plain after 4-5 years while for example Ercole Spada’s cars are still elegant today” Sorry but I have to totally disagree with you. I guess, in the end it’s true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

wazon8

” nothing he created was even remotely elegant or stylish”. Really? What about e92, e93 and X5?! Isn’t his X6 stylish? If not, what’s stylish then?

wazon8

“Money was cheap (easy borrowing) and people needed a flashy cars with big powerful engines.” Sorry, but BMW noticed worldwide sale increase, not only U.S. increase. That’s true that it was much easier to borrow money, but it still doesn’t explain why people went for BMW. The presence of big, powerful engines doesn’t do the work also. After all, these engines have never been popular in Europe and still BMW noticed increase there. Moreover, both of reasons provided by you don’t explain why people go rather for BMW and not MB or Audi, each of which provides cars with big and powerful engines. Your reasoning ignore some factor which could be resposible for people choices and perhaps this factor was that people liked the Bungle’s BMW looked like. It’s even plausible that people liked that design.

bob

His website is finally up & running. “Understanding Believing Seeing”, he’s talked about for years…

bob

Be sure to watch the 4 outtakes as well…just as interesting…on multiple levels. Intriguing is the sequence of the ‘mentoring @ Pasadena’ outtake followed by the ‘management votex @ BMW’ outtake.

I wonder what caused the rift among CEB & J Mays…

Geoff

“You can’t create LIFE under an atmostphere of no”. What an idiot.

XC

What do you know about anything?

Mpressive

Must be lots of bangle fans here.. To all those pointing out that the flame surface designs of the E60, E61, etc sold quite well, i have 2 words for you. German engineering! Sold quite well is not the same as aesthetically pleasing.

YES, i can admire the mighty V10 in the E60, stunning acceleration over 100mph and sound of V10 at 8k revs is pure joy but that does not mean i’m impressed with the way car looks on the outside.. bangle butt was coined for a reason..

bob

“Must be lots of bangle fans here..”

That would make you a ‘basher.

“…i have 2 words for you. German engineering! Sold quite well is not the same as aesthetically pleasing.”

Setting new all-time sales records — which is what the E65-66 did — means that people voted with their wallets. The ‘bashers will never admit that design contributed to BMW becoming the world’s #1 premium maker. As if being wrong all along about Bangle and the impact upon BMW’s sales wasn’t enough of a clue.